Burnt Memory
by Aster Knight Sapphire
Summary: Kai had been living with a warm family and good friends. It was almost perfect, so wonderful and blissful. But then his world burnt down in one simple night, stealing all he had in mere seconds. Loved ones, likes, dislikes, thoughts, feelings. And memory. With no desire of ever gaining anything, how will he ever learn who he really is? How will he ever get his memory back?
1. Prologue: Faded

**AN:** I here present to you my new story. I will be straight: it may not be so interesting since I'm just doing this because I wondered how a story with this plot would work. Anyways, I hope this first chapter does not bore you. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Cardfight Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Prologue: Faded**

* * *

_"We love you. More than anything."_

Screams.

Horrible deafening screams that made hearts lurch rang out. Nothing could be heard while those words continued to replay themselves.

_"We love you. More than anything."_

All the sounds that should have made ears burst were merely in the background. Faint cracklings, panicked and agonized screams, and loud shouts. Droplets of rain wept, mourning the loss of lives.

Nothing really mattered. Nothing held purpose. Everything was just there. Mainly because it just happened. What was the meaning of love? The meaning of family? Why did trees live, why not die? Why was the sky blue, why not green?

Faintly, these questions were asked mentally without even recognition. Although nothing was processed, nor understood, the sight before him was all painted in eternal black, and some part to the right seemed to have weight towering over it.

"...! Hey, snap out of it!"

The first word was not heard, and the yell was not even registered as blank, dulled eyes stared up at nothing. The one solitary place that had heard asked, why did people scream, why not whisper?

"..., please! Wake up!"

Why did people cry out in the open, why not alone?

"Sir, please step aside! We need to get him to the hospital!"

Why did people panic, why not stay calm?

"I WON'T!"

Why? Why was the sky black? Why did it smell of death, why not life?

"P-please l-listen to him, M-Miw..."

Absolutely everything was blocked out. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It was neither denied nor welcomed, merely allowed. Nothing seemed good, and nothing seemed bad. No such thought crossed his mind. He let himself fall. There was only one thing that was last heard before dropping into a deep abyss.

_"We love you. More than anything."_

Loud, painful screams fell on deaf ears. If only it had been heard, fate may have been different.

* * *

Could something be both peaceful and scary? That was how he felt as he floated in the darkness. It was void of anything, yet there was some warmth to it. Nothing could be heard. Nothing could be seen.

It was so perfect. To float but never fall. There was no light, but the life still lived. The silence and empty space was comforting. It eased away all pain and worries.

What? What was there to worry about? Nothing was wrong. No trouble could be remembered... Nothing could be remembered. Everything was empty, much like this wondrous world.

Isn't that something to be frightened about? How odd no emotion needed to be hampered, for no emotion was felt. Then, was this all a dream? A world as perfect as this did not exist. But if this was a dream, then it was wished to be eternal.

Unfortunately, a white light started to illuminate everything and shone brightly. Murky green circles peeked through once tightly closed veils that were sullied as everything changed.

The world swam in a seemingly never-ending journey. It swirled in a blinding white, turning vigorously. It sang an ambiguous tune of many melodies, loud and piercing, panicked and deafening. It sent out nauseous waves that would make your stomach churn, and your throat contract, leaving no room for your gasping body.

It came as a shock when small, comforting dots began to darken on the brightness and intensity of it all. The spots soon marked the whole world, cleansing all filth and wiping away all worries.

A pure simple black painted everything. The feeling was blissful and soothing after that experience. This world sang a wonderful tune: silence. Smooth and cool the darkness stretched, most welcomed.

The time here was wonderful and on-going. Every moment or so, a small pain and lack of air would surmount all of its beauty for a terse moment. An erratic confusion would occur momentarily in that small amount of time. It brought interest as to what was that, but it was never pressed. The interest was mild and very well gone in an instant.

But then, those moments grew more consistent, and oxygen was hard to come by. At the faintest part of the mind, it was wondering. The once serenity of the perennial realm lost its beauty and began to fade. As much as it was loved, no panic or action was done to prevent it.

It was then a sound could be heard. Strange, it had always been there but never registered. As the volume grew louder, the perfect world began to deteriorate.

Soon, it was no more. Curtains that prevented anything from view were difficulty pushed away, an arduous task. That same horrible world had returned with vengeance. And yet, it was not as bad as it had seemed. It spun, but not to the point where it could not be seen. The pain had become more alive, burning with hunger at everything. A loud drum seemed to be pounded with every breath, providing the need to vomit whatever was left in the hollow form. An awful taste lurked in the air, making breathing a horrid task.

It was hardly considered as the world cleared.

"...H-he's awake!"

* * *

**AN: **First time doing a prologue. Tell me if it needed anything, and I'll add it. I normally write stories for the readers to enjoy them, and for me to experience it. This time I am just doing it because I wonder what people will think.

**Review if you want to tell me what you think.**


	2. Who?

**AN:** This took a while. It's actually hard to write in this style. I got inspired by reading some LOTR fics. Well, hopefully I can keep it up. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Cardfight Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Chapter One: Who...?**

* * *

The blissful, eternal darkness continued to return, but left small opportunities for its opposite. Each time, it would come, then quickly leave, letting the darkness take over for a longer time. There was no recollection of what happened in that painful place, and nothing was done to remember. At the moment, the horrid world had yet again returned.

It no longer spun in an endless circle, merely danced in hazy waves. But the pain was more alive and hungrier. The drums were blaring, and the hollow inside was thumping.

And then, a strange sound came. It lacked any beauty, falling on deaf ears. But again, it sang and sang, until it finally breached through.

Green hues blinked wearily, unsure of what had been spoken. They squinted to focus on a figure that stood closest to him.

It questioned again, slowly but still not loud enough for the blaring ears to hear.

Realization came after a minute as the numbness started to ware off. He was laying down on something soft from what little he could feel. There seemed to be a slight weight on his numb body. White straps wrapped around his form, sprouting everywhere. Something was over his mouth, pushing air in and compensating for the sullied air that was perched deep in his throat.

Blinking hazily, he tried to make out the figure in front of him but failed in doing so. Out of impulse in his delirious state, he tried to speak.

"Y...I-I..." A voice that he did not know was his own sounded hoarse and dead. The occupant on the bed was unaware of the soft voices around him. The dark world wanted to take its shift, but he willed it to wait. This world may just have something, despite the twisted pain it brought.

He tried to move, but his body would not budge in the slightest, finding the softness of the bed to be its nesting place. He vaguely sensed a presence near, but all his senses were overrun when many other figures appeared, blurring in a dance of waves. The many lyrics slurred, not reaching attentive ears.

He heard something faintly from his side and immediately the lyrics died away. Green spheres strained to make out their composers.

It was a boy, he guessed faintly. There was a big yellow blur that he could not quite figure out with yellow hair and...grey eyes? It was hard to make anything out when the dance of waves continued in their pleasure. But he managed to see the teen's mouth move. The boy forced his ears to hear.

"...Kai, how...you...?"

He blinked blankly, not even registering that he was called a name he did not know. He couldn't quite understand what had been said. The stiffness and numbness hung over him stubbornly.

"...Kai?" the boy pressed, his face concerned beyond the boy's understanding. He could barely see two grey circles that seemed to be wet.

The boy blinked again. It barely came to him that he did not know this person.

"...Wh-who...?" the boy croaked, not knowing his voice sounded awful. He felt drowsy and allowed his mouth to work on its own, though he could hardly register his own words.

The figure took a step closer, wet circles seeming to be soaked. "...Kai, stop...–"

"Kai..." the boy murmured unwillingly, unable to hear anything else. He stared at the blurred figure. "Who...?"

He somehow felt the figure was in pain. Other blurs came up, and he squinted to see them leave the room. Someone came up to him, and he heard a voice but failed to understand the words. The brunet just stared up at him, not sensing the problem.

Another blurred object came into view. The boy blinked as everything suddenly spun. Colors started to fade, and his body went limp as he entered the other world.

* * *

"...Just relax. Everything's alright."

Green hues blinked wearily, unsure of what had been spoken. They squinted hard, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Kid, can you hear me?"

The doctor sighed, shaking his head. He had tried for weeks with no success. It was a wonder the kid survived it all. But every time he woke up, he could never react to anything. The kid would just blink with hazy eyes at the ceiling until he would black out. This was the first time his eyes looked somewhat aware.

"Can you hear me?" the man tried again. He worried maybe his patient was aware, but simply lost his hearing and sight. But it did not look that way. He seemed to be absorbing everything around him, trying to understand. He supposed there was a lot for him to digest.

The boy was laying on a bed, a blanket placed over him. Machines were hooked all over his body, giving him the nutrition he was sorely lacking. An oxygen mask was around his mouth, helping his tarnished throat gain air. He was bandaged all over, his face the only thing that wasn't, save for the one on his forehead.

"Y...I-I..." he tried to speak, maybe out of fear of not knowing what was happening.

"Good," the doctor sighed in relief, though he was speaking to the doctor beside him. "I was worried he lost his hearing."

"But, he's still in critical condition. He was lucky to have survived. I wonder what will happen when he–"

"Not here. He's still awake."

He was unaware of the tense words spoken about him as he tried to move his stiff body. He attempted to move when words were spoken again.

"Better not move around," the man stated quickly, not touching him, but placing a hand on the bed instead. "Your friends will be let in now."

The words never had the opportunity to be processed as the teens came in looking relieved and immediately started to speak.

"No at all at once," the man stated, raising his hand to the kids. "You'll shock him."

The kids immediately stopped speaking. The doctor smiled wearily at this.

"...Kai, how are you feeling?" It was a boy with yellow hair and grey eyes.

The man guessed they were close friends as the teen always asked how his friend was. He grimaced as he looked to injured boy. He didn't look like he knew what was happening. But the man was happy to see he tried to hear. Still, the expression he had did not look promising.

"...Kai?" the boy pressed, his face concerned beyond the boy's understanding.

The boy blinked again.

The doctor frowned. It did not look like he recognized this person. But this person knew him. He now dreaded what the problem was.

"...Wh-who...?" And he was proved to be correct.

The color drained from everyone in the room, to which the boy blinked innocently.

The blond boy took a deep breath. "...Kai, stop joking. It isn't–"

"Kai..." the boy murmured, staring at the blond with what seemed pure innocence. But that innocence did not belong there, and so, everyone started to worry. "Who...?"

The blond boy broke down and started crying, and some of his friends did as well, but the confused boy couldn't make them all out. They had disappeared outside the room, one man following them.

"Kid, do you know who you are?" the man questioned him again after the silence.

The brunet just stared up at him with dulled eyes, looking on the verge of passing out.

The two doctors whispered to each other as the boy fell asleep. "I knew he would have some problems. His friends told me he was very aloof and somewhat cold-acting."

"That's not how he looks now," the doctor finished sadly. "I don't think memory loss is the only side effect."

"His attitude is strange for his age," the other man agreed. "I wonder just how many years he forgot. We're going to need to test that."

It proved to be harder than they had expected. The boy was absolutely silent. The only thing he would do was blink, unmoving for an entire week. They finally had a breakthrough and realized he could speak and understand if he tried. Unfortunately, they realized he never did. He would not accept anything nor resist anything. It was like there was never a heart at all.

At times, he would look like a lifeless doll, staring off at some inanimate object for hours until sleep took over.

They soon realized that even though his body narrowly survived, everything else had died.

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes. The world was black all over, no sound other than his quiet breathing. He pushed his body onto his feet and blinked slowly. His body begged for rest, and this comfy land was so attracting.

The boy stared upwards where the sky looked like it went on forever. He watched it for a time he was not aware of. Deciding to move on, he walked forward or was it backward? Everything was pure black, dwindling any sense of direction. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the boy sought no destination and simply walked without care.

He did not keep track of time and allowed himself to wander for hours. In the cool silence of this empty realm, he heard a voice. Two voices. Something strange wormed its way to his heart as he quickened his pace. These voices...he knew them. Why?

His body unconsciously froze, and his skin blanched upon seeing two other people. His heart sped up faster, pounding in his chest. Followed by instinct, he reached his hand out towards them. It was too dark to make out their faces, but he knew they were smiling.

Smiling. Didn't they look like–?

The boy immediately recoiled, his lack of breath finally reaching his senses to the point where he started gasping. The figures' smiles only grew wider as they held out their hand. Something felt cold in his body as he stumbled back. The feeling ate away at his insides, lurking about.

The figures' hands stopped, and their mouth began to move. Strong words rose up to the boy's contracted throat, threatening to burst.

His mouth opened as the other figures were about to speak. Just as words were about to breach through, the world changed.

Someone screamed in panic, soon blocked out by an angry shout. Then he felt pain on his head as he was shocked awake.

He blinked slowly, his breath gathering back into his system as the perspiration decreased. He was on a floor, his head, arm, and rib somewhat protected by the carpet, but pain still lingered. No memory of anything before it came. He vaguely recalled lying in some bright place with many people, but his memory was cut short. He was grabbed by the back of his blue sweater that seemed two sizes bigger and thrown against something that could be called a couch.

"Stupid brat. Why couldn't you die along with them?!"

The boy was forced to look upward in his dizzy state. He could barely make out a man who looked angry and distasteful before being pulled up by the collar of his shirt.

"I couldn't care less about your state since I'm stuck watching you, so you better listen," he sneered. "Now hurry up!"

The disoriented teen swayed in his grip and merely blinked at him.

The man's grip tightened. "What if I made you remember everything?" he whispered darkly.

At first there was no reaction, but cold feeling entered the boy's body as his eyes widened, and he tried to back away. He hardly understood what the man even meant, but terror entered his body at those words.

The man was pleased with this and grabbed the boy by his hair, twisting it painfully. "Listen to everything I say, and that won't happen."

A shaky nod was all that came before he was thrown out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. He lay on the floor, gasping for reasons he did not even know. Soon, he calmed down and returned to what would be called normal. Standing up, he realized he was in a bathroom. A pair of clothes laid waiting for him. In memory of what he was told, he took off his clothes and stepped in the shower.

While the water soaked his body, the back of his mind questioned how he knew that if you turn the knob one way, it will be cold, and another way, it will be hot. But the thought of that man simply made him do whatever he did. He was not aware of the stinging the water brought to his wounds or his sore body.

He turned off the shower and dried his body before changing into the clothes. They felt too big, but he did not know. They would be considered weird for casual attire, but the boy did not know this and left. He fiddled with the dark blue tie around his neck (that he miraculously knew how to wear) as he walked around. He made a noise of surprise when a bag was thrown into his hands and before he could stare at it for hours, he was grabbed by the arm and shoved outside.

Stumbling forward, he did not even get to realize that man had pushed him outside of a house before he was pushed into a car. The boy blinked, his banging head apparently not given any concern as the man drove down the street, muttering a few words that the teen was lucky not to have heard.

Now that he had some time, he looked at the bag in his hands before his attention was swept away by the road. He stared out the window, watching the moving objects fly by, leaving only their colors in a blur. A nauseous feeling soon entered his system as everything spun. Almost instantly, the car stopped.

"Out."

And he stumbled out obediently, his bag coincidentally in hand. He watched the car drive out of sight before turning around upon hearing a new voice.

"Oh man! I'm going to be late!"

He stared, his mouth slightly open to show his puzzlement, bag lightly held in his tender hand. There were people around his age running inside the building, calling out to each other to hurry.

A strange, melodic sound rang out in the silent area, bringing some form of hot feeling in him. He turned his attention to the building. It seemed pretty big. The teen looked up at it with dazed eyes and murmured the words he saw on the building,

"Hitsue...High..."

* * *

**AN:** For some reason, I still don't feel like putting "Kai did this or that". Using his name somehow seems out of place even though it's obvious. Anyways...

**Preview Coming Soon:**

**Chapter Two: School...Home?** Kai experiences a strange day at a new school, getting something called 'detention' on the first day. Managing to find the place where he had woken up, he's left at the mercy of a hateful man.

**Review if you want.**


	3. School? Home?

**AN:** I have a feeling I will be focusing on this story more than others since I have gained the dreaded sickness, writer's block.

Someone please tell me of an idea for a romance pair I can use for FLF because I really STINK at romance. And AWotU is just lacking something, so I may change some of the chapters, but I am not sure. Action is another thing I stink at. Simply wonderful. But never mind that, please read on and enjoy. (And ignore my strange use of words. Middle Earth's English really does things to you)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Chapter Two: School...Home?**

* * *

Isn't the teacher supposed to introduce the new student to the class and show him around? This question never even crossed the boy's mind as he stood in the classroom, staring at everyone blankly. It was not cold or indifferent. It could almost be called the innocent look a child gives you when they believe you are worth staring at. The boy always had one of two expressions. He either would stare innocently, his mouth slightly agape for no reason. Or he would look with half open eyes and blink numerous times, as if he was tired. At the moment he retained the childish look, staring at all the people. His hair had grown long, covering a scar on the right of his forehead he wasn't aware of it.

"Toshiki-kun," his teacher coughed uncomfortably. "Please take a seat."

The boy stayed where he was, not moving his eyes at all. It was when someone stood up and pulled him to a chair did he turn to the person and blinked.

"...Alright. Class, please treat your classmate well. He...may act different," the teacher sighed sadly, staring at his student who took no notice at all.

The brown-haired boy simply stared at the person curiously who had pulled him to a chair, his mouth a little open to show it. Everyone's stares did nothing to move his sight. They all wondered if he was even aware of it.

"Now, let's start the new chapter. First, you will need to know..."

Most students still stared at him, wondering why he continued to stare at the same place for the rest of the class. When the bell rang, everyone quickly got up and almost forgot about the brunet. They saw him staring at that exact person, not even moving from his chair. People began to whisper.

"Isn't that Kai Toshiki?"

"I thought I was dreaming! He's so different!"

"What happened to him while he took off from school? It was almost a month, too!"

"Maybe the rumors are true. That accident-"

Everyone froze as the brunet finally moved and stood up. He stared at them the same way he had stared at that person. It was not meant to intimidate, but it gave that effect. His classmates looked down in shame for having spoken about him like that before quickly heading to the next class, uneasy how the boy never once moved his gaze. Even as they left, he stared at the doorway, being the only person left in the room. Besides the teacher.

"Toshiki-kun?"

Maybe he ignored it, maybe he hadn't heard it. The teacher gently placed a hand on his shoulder. After a minute past, he slowly looked to his teacher, then to where his hand was, and back to the teacher. Again, he meant nothing from it (his face clearly said it), but his teacher was used to his original self, and swiftly removed his hand.

"You...are Toshiki," the teacher stressed, hoping his student understood at least that. The reaction received was an innocent blink, as if not knowing what he was being told. The man sighed. "Toshiki-kun, try to make some friends here. It may help."

Another blink, unsure of what he meant, but the face was still innocent and so strange on his usual stoic face. The now innocent boy let himself get ushered out of the classroom, into the empty hallways.

The bell would ring any minute, and he did not have whatever books he needed for that class, nor did he know where that class was.

It never crossed his mind at all.

He merely let his feet move and walked down the hall, looking straight at the ground for no reason at all. There never was a reason. He never thought. He never hated or loved. Everything was gone. Whatever was supposed to be there. He continued the process of one foot in front of the other until he felt someone grip his arm and stop his movements.

He just stared off, not turning to the person who seemed very angry and who happened to be the teacher of his next class. He finally turned to the man and didn't even notice he was pulled into his next classroom.

"You're late," the man snapped, letting go of his arm. "What's your excuse?"

He just stared, cocking his head a little to the right. It didn't reach his mind that his teacher was furious.

"Detention, Toshiki. Now sit down."

The teacher pushed him roughly towards a desk. The teen blinked at it, much like he always did at anything he deemed worthy of staring. He was unaware of his classmates murmuring worriedly to each other before he sat on the chair, wanting to stare at something else. He didn't hear his teacher muttering and writing a note about him for the principal. He was simply oblivious to everything.

* * *

Detention, whatever that was, had started. He sat on a chair, looking for something to stare at. There were others in the room as well, but he did not analyze them. He blinked when someone sat next to him and slowly turned. It was that same person who had made him sit down earlier. How strange he never took the time to remember him.

He had blond hair and...grey eyes? It was just about to reach him that he may know this person when he spoke.

"How's it going?" he grinned cheekily, patting the brunet on the shoulder.

He blinked at the teen's carefree attitude, his eyes traveling from the blond's hand then back to the blond.

"So how do you like the school?" he went on, placing a hand on the table, still grinning cheerfully. When no response came, he laughed, "You don't talk much, do you?"

The boy continued to blink at him innocently. There was something strange about this person. He was so cheery and casual around him as he continued to laugh. But even in his mind void of cares, this person seemed to be...different. He didn't know how to word it, but he knew this person was not happy, despite his laughter.

And the cheerful person blabbered on and on about everything, and the confused boy actually found it nice.

It somehow felt right letting this person give him a headache.

* * *

For some odd reason, he actually thought about things when this man was around. For instance, he wondered why the man bothered to come back. Ironically, he never questioned who this man was or why he was living with him. Still, why had the man drove him to the house and shoved him in?

It came as a surprise to the boy who had fallen on weak knees, his body frail from the lack of food he had been skipping. He slowly turned to the man who slammed the door and stalked up to him angrily. The boy felt fear crawl around his stomach, forcing him to crawl back.

The man grabbed him by his hair and forced him to stand.

He felt stinging pain on his scalp, but he did not dwell on it, feeling his heart rate increase. He was pulled down the stairs and thrown on the hard floor which lacked a carpet this time. He heard the man grab something before a loud crack echoed in the dark room.

The only reaction was wide eyes, and the simple jerk of his body at the shocking sensation that flooded through him. He just laid on the ground, too shocked to move.

And it came again. And again. It was strange. A burning feeling that spread through your body, and made your teeth clench, and your heart pound. A raw taste entered his mouth, almost making him grimace. The hitting finally stopped, but his bleeding legs could still feel hot.

There was an irate mutter before the door slammed shut, and he was left alone to his pain. He slowly sat up and blinked when he felt pain coming from somewhere other than his ankles. Maybe it had come from his rib. He was successful in discovering it to be a yes after a small squeeze. He turned to his ankles.

They were littered in mad, red marks, a liquid leaking out. The boy lightly touched the red liquid and brought up an index finger. It tasted like the same thing that had already flooded his mouth.

He pulled up his knees and laid his head down, finding nothing to stare at in the pitch-black room.

* * *

It seemed this man liked him better without hair since he always seemed to drag him by it.

He was thrown in the car, his head again gaining the brunt of it. He did not move from the awkward position his body was in. His eyes were half-open, his ankles sore, and his body aching. He had been awoken from his slumber and fell down on each stair as the man had been impatient for him to leave without food or a jacket in this cold, rainy weather. But it did not occur to him to be angry or upset since he did not know he was hungry or cold.

He headed into the school, unaware of the stares and whispers going around as he tumbled down the stairs. He accidentally made it before the bell rang. His natural instincts took over to give his body rest from moving around. He much preferred staring at the chairs rather than sitting in them.

The once melodic sound now hurt his ears and made his head pound. But from looking at his face, the only thing you could read would be that he didn't make it well through the night, and that he had not eaten in days.

His teacher told him to go wash his face but then said to head to the office to call home as the boy kept swaying on the chair. For the first time since he came to this 'new' school, he made a sound.

"Eh?" he blinked with half-open eyes and cocked his head to the right at his teacher, unaware of how deathly silent the room got. Home? What was that?

"...Yes, call home, the place where you came from this morning," the teacher stressed, hoping his student could understand that much. Why was he allowed to go to school if he did not know what was being said?

That immediately struck an emotion on the brunet's blank face, and he jumped from his seat.

The class was startled by his actions and the sudden panic on his face.

The boy had no understanding of why he felt this way, but he most certainly was not going back any sooner than he needed to. A hand on his shoulder made him turn to see that same chatterer from 'detention'.

"I'll take him to the bathroom," he grinned and pulled the boy out of the room without the approval. Once they were down the hall, the blond let go of his arm and lightly placed his hand behind the brunet's back, guiding him towards the restroom.

"Life not so good at home?" he questioned quietly as he opened the door, and the two walked in.

Kai was still grasping this 'home', but he felt the teen had asked the question perfectly, as if he had known exactly. But his thoughts were swept away as he turned his face.

There stood someone with an absolutely pale color and a positively skinny form. His hair was brown and spiked in a strange way that was both messy yet in order for an odd reason unknown to him. Yet the thing that stood out the most was the eyes. A dazed, emerald green that looked too inhuman to belong to anyone. They stared without meaning.

Unconsciously, he reached out to touch, and his fingers met a cold glass. Blinking, he saw the person doing the same thing and staring at him intently.

"That's you," the silent murmur reminded him that he was not alone.

He turned to the blond with a small, ray of confusion littering his usual blank face.

"It's your reflection," he continued gently and came beside the brunet. "See? I'm there, too."

The boy had trouble grasping this 'reflection', but he saw the blond there as well, so maybe that was him. Letting go of it, he turned on the water and brought it up to his face, shaking away his drowsiness.

The blond silently led him back to their class, his face grim. It vaguely occurred to the brown-haired boy that he did not know the person's name. But then he also did not know the man's name. Actually, he did not know his own name...

Was that supposed to matter?

* * *

**AN:** Yes, but sadly, he will not know that for some time. Even though I may change it, here is what may happen next.

**Preview Coming Soon:**

**Chapter Three: Despair **Kai's beatings started to increase, and it began to affect him. The more he realizes, the more he suffers. The more the days pass, the more he grows mad.

**Review if you want.**


	4. Despair

**Dragonic Lilac Fire:** I do try to prepare the next chapter before I post the present one to make it easy. No comment on that. Yes, it is a shame he never had the time to properly recover. Oh he will. Very much indeed.

**Eclairia:** Thank you. Yes, I changed my writing style when I made this story. I hope nothing hinders it. I am glad that you like it. I know. My old style was not exactly the best. Live and learn as the saying goes. I thank you. I must keep up this way of writing if I wish to meet my goal. Yes, it felt out of place to simply use his name randomly if he was not aware of it. They both have quite a long journey ahead of them. I hoped I did not make anything out of character.

**Maiden Warrior:** Unfortunately, Toshiki still has more to face. But he will soon be among his friends. I am afraid you are correct in that, but hopefully, the ending will make it worth the struggle.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Chapter Three: Despair**

* * *

The ground truly was the most attracting thing the world could bring. It had to be. Otherwise, there would be no reason for the green-eyed boy to stare down at it instead of the people he passed. But then, it would work well for him. After all, there was no such memory of reason in his mind. If he actually took the time to think, he would realize he did not know whether he did things out of a whim or boredom.

But a fact was a fact; he never thought. One foot in front of the other. Again and again until he felt something. Somehow, it had stopped the process, and he slowly looked up.

If not his usual surprise to see a face, he may have noticed how this blue-haired boy's face flinched in utter shock. Blue hair and matching blue eyes... it seemed–

"Aichi! Hey, why'd you–!"

The sudden new melody immediately ceased, a sharp tune following afterwards. Turning again, he saw another guy, with red spiky hair and an open mouth. The green-eyed boy cocked his head at this.

"...Uh, hey?" he waved awkwardly, sharing a nervous look with the bluenet.

He blinked at the two as the silence carried itself in the wind. A hand on his shoulder slightly startled him. He saw both teens stare at him with concern.

"What happened to your neck?"

He found himself confused, his hand tenderly covering the angry marks on his neck. His mind only understood to wear something that was not stained with that bitter liquid. His clothes were too big. Or maybe he was just too skinny. Still, they had not been able to cover everything.

His hand felt many marks on his skin. They must have appeared from the beating. Beating? Which one? He had been given a beating more than once every day now. And it was longer. And scarier. And darker.

"Kai-kun..."

That small murmur was enough to make all three of them tense, eyes wide at what had been spoken.

Green eyes that had been hazy with confusion, now was staring at the bluenet with shock. Kai... Why did that word bother him? His heart pounded in his ears, and panic entered his body. Kai... He felt there was something about the name that bothered him. His head hurt, and his heart stung.

Something alien made itself known. He began to question almost everything. Why did that man treat him like that? Why did he not know anyone? Why did he not care? Why did he keep on feeling empty? Why didn't he know his own name?

Why didn't he know... anything?

"...Kai, how are you feeling?" A boy with blond hair and gray eyes.

Two figures smiling, reaching out to welcome.

"What if I made you remember everything?" A dark and evil voice.

"Hitsue...High..." A tall building that brought a strange feeling.

"Isn't that Kai Toshiki?"

"I thought I was dreaming! He's so different!"

"What happened to him while he took off from school? It was almost a month, too!"

"Maybe the rumors are true. That accident-" Unknown voices.

"You...are Toshiki." He was told.

"How's it going?"

"You don't talk much, do you? Life not so good at home? That's you."

He heard himself gasp and quickly slapped the hand away. He couldn't breathe. Everything was blurring away. There were too many things replaying in his mind. He couldn't–

Kai-kun...

He did not know when he started running. Or when he reached the house. Or when the beating started again. By then, his mind had tucked away that memory and focused on the present.

He did not understand. Why was HE doing this? Why did it continue to feel hot? Why did he curl up into a ball? Why did that red liquid keep on coming out of his unmoving hands?

These questions were of interest but never mulled over. It was just how things were. He would leave...school and be brought to the basement for this. His life was like that. Was there a problem with it?

He had noticed the man becoming more hostile as time went by. He always staggered weakly and smelled of something strong that the green-eyed boy almost, ALMOST disliked. But the man would hit him harder each time. His ankles had recovered only to cover in odd, purple\blue circles that would hurt when touched from being pushed up and down the stairs every morning and evening. His ribs were never granted the opportunity for relaxation as the boy always got pushed to the ground. He was apparently 'clumsy', the man had once sneered.

At this moment, the beatings had just ended, leaving two cut and bleeding hands covered in scars and twisted awkwardly. He had lost his shirt some time in the burning pain, and now his back was covered with whip marks. His face remain untouched, an amazing feat.

The usual oblivious boy could no longer be unaware that it hurt. It hurt so much, but he would never make a sound. He could not. He feared the man greatly and felt at ease being far away from–

The door that had been shut for hours slammed open, revealing the man that he had just realized he did not want to be near him. Why was he here? He never came back after he left, only in the mornings to make sure he hurt himself at least somewhere on every stair. But HE was here and pulling him up by his burning arm.

A foul stench was the last thing that fluttered in his mind before everything simmered away. He could see himself being slammed to the ground, and see the whip hit him, but he could not hear. He could not feel any pain. Nothing was really there. Some part of him was grateful, for it continued even in the morning.

* * *

The room was cold and dark, absolutely vacant of light and sound. Wait, there was a sound. Gasping. The realization came pounding into his mind. He was laying on the stone floor, hugging himself as if wishing to disappear. But he was wishing that. He missed the other world. The one that should have been perennial and perfect. The one where everything is quiet and soothing. But it would never come.

He felt his bloody hands twitching oddly from being twisted in many awkward angles. His ribs were probably broken beyond repair without proper rest.

Rest. He had not slept. He had not slept for so long. The room's emptiness was suddenly disrupted with a loud, strange noise that brought pain to his stomach. He guessed he was hungry. When did he last eat? What was there to eat? The only word that came to his non-self-aware consciousness was 'food'. But what was food?

He started to realize things a little more. Like how he could feel every bone on his body; the blood soaking his hair, and the shivers that wracked his numb body.

And...school. Yes, he thought that was the word. He had not been there for a while. Time was never something he remembered. Whatever his mind held in its memory.

He suddenly had the urge to pull at his red-stained hair but felt too delirious to fully understand and so, continued to lay still. The strong feeling in his stomach drove him mad, making him grind his teeth. He was hungry. He was sick of this darkness. He wanted everything to stop, to go back to...the way they were...

He blinked, his agony dismissed for the moment. The way they were? Had it been different before? Was this something new? As he questioned more and more, his pain was ignored, but something was slowly growing in his head.

No, it was not always like this. He winced, feeling immense pain struck through his head. The wall he had subconsciously put up now crumbled, and he really did pull at his hair. An exploding feeling breached through. The urge to hit and scream was so clear. He had never felt this way before. His mouth was sore from having been clenched, but he only did it harder.

Twisted, bleeding fingers damaged themselves further by scraping the hard floor. Words could not describe how much pain he was in. He felt cold, hot, sore, broken, and hungry all at once. The different types of pain that stroked him was too much. He could not even make a sound.

* * *

Black, empty, dark, void, alone. They all were true. There was nothing. No sound, no thought, no heart. Just something that was nothing.

Then something made itself known. A harsh, repeated sound that broke it all. An intense feeling flooded over, incinerating the emptiness.

Something brought pain, emitting a long agonizing sound. It was no longer void of everything. Whether that had been good or bad was unknown. Now everything was a pulsing crimson.

* * *

**AN:** A simple touch of the outside seemed appropriate. I had to cut it short of course. There will be more to come...

**Preview Coming Soon:**

**Chapter Four: Punishment** The punishments would always come, but a bigger one was needed for what had happened. Kai does something that surprises both HIM and himself: He runs away. But that too has a punishment, one that he does not know could end it all.

**Review if you want.**


	5. Punishment

Review Answers:

Dragonic Lilac Fire: Thank you. I will probably update five to seven days after each chapter.

Eclairia: I think I may be overdoing it and making everything look boring. Yeah, I guess it could be called that. Put that there to add on to the suspense.

Maiden Warrior: Yes, I am a fan of Toshiki too, so it does hurt. That really means a lot to me!

A.N. : Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard.

Burnt Memory

Chapter Four: Punishment

* * *

A small grunt echoed in the dark room as the boy was slammed to the ground. He started to gasp, all his pain suddenly becoming real. He felt his blood-covered hands. He felt pain from his ribs with every breath. He felt ever single gash on his back. And yet, it came so fast simultaneously, that he felt into a deep stupor, unaware that his heart beat was not at its normal speed and unaware of the man near him.

Everything was numb.

Everything.

And then, everything was gone.

* * *

Green, pained eyes slowly revealed themselves, seeing the world dance at its wake. They blinked again and again until some sense had returned. He remembered being in the basement, learning the burning sensation to be pain. But now he hardly felt any pain and was laying on a comfortable couch...what?

He slowly pushed his body up and faintly winced at the headache that small movement brought him. His blood ran cold as the man came into view, whip in hand.

HE glared at the injured boy.

The startled boy remembered getting yelled at in his last beating about why people found out about his injuries.

The man would prefer torturing him by making friends, but this boy had no understanding of how to hide things. Those kids from last night had been suspicious, and they were knowing. He had never considered that people would actually notice the wounds he had inflicted, but it seemed he went too far. Now he had been forced to treating this brat's injuries so that he could be well enough where no one will suspect a thing.

The boy was oblivious to all this and blinked, not knowing why he wasn't beaten. Shouldn't he be whipped, and cut, and thrown down the stairs right now? If not, then what should he do? It occurred to him that he thought when the man was near and realized that was because he was afraid. The man scared him and hurt him. He was not sure if the beatings were bad or good, but he did not want them right now.

The man's glare deepened. He would much rather let the kid deal with the questions and keep this all hidden, but the man knew he wouldn't. In truth, he never heard anything from the brat other than small grunts when he was tortured. But he was still not going to play nice, even if he needed this to be kept secret. Pain killers was the only thing he did, and that was it. The kid could deal with healing at his own accord and if he couldn't, oh well.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he snarled at the staring boy. "From now on, only your face and hands will be safe."

Instead of taking him to the basement like he usually would, he stalked towards the boy and pulled him up by the shirt.

And the whip came. That horrible, terrifying thing came again and again. It lasted longer this time. A large, sharp pointy blade was introduced to bare, pale white skin. It dug deep and twisted thoroughly.

He may not have ever paid attention, but this was definitely longer than an hour! Something made his eyes go wide, and it was not the pain that was coming from his back that could only be seen as bloody flesh. He felt his heart pound, and his breath vanish. He curled his hands into fists.

He felt...mad. This had been going on for weeks! The brunet was started to dislike something. And he was not that oblivious to not be aware it was this. He. Did. Not. Want. It.

Finally the man, stopped, letting the boy breathe. HE left the room.

A sigh of absolute relief was heard. The boy managed to slip his shirt back on in this instant. He slowly sat up. That same irritated feeling washed over him. He wanted it to stop. It was just too much.

His eyes seemed to move a by a magnetic pull, and he stared at the door. The brown door. The one that lead outside. Mad thoughts began to plague his mind. He could not help it.

Outside.

Away from HIM.

Where the intriguing ground awaited.

Away from HIM.

Where he would never think.

AwayfromHIM!

And the boy had no idea why he felt so alive when he ran out the house. Ran. He actually ran. With burning legs in the cold weather.

He did not feel okay slowing down, but his body was exhausted. Now that he away from HIM, his mind returned to its normal sleep state, and he walked on, staring at the ground as usual. Everything fled from his mind. That small feeling of determination in him, that twisted fear that crept in the shadows, and that small, yet strong feeling of utter madness all disappeared. It was now a grey memory, leaving no feeling behind.

All this ended when a cold hand grabbed his injured arm. His entire body stiffened at the sight of HIM.

The man was squeezing his arm with so much rage that the wound blossomed, a river of blood flowing out.

The brown haired teen could hear the loud drums playing again. He was going back. He was going to be beaten. No! He did not want that! But HE was offering a warning glance before he would try to resist. In his frozen state, he barely noticed the people around him who were staring. But he became more aware of it as HE lessened the grip on him.

The possibility of this working was not calculated. He just acted. There could not be another beating. The agonizing pain that seemed even more perennial than the once beautiful dark world could never repeat itself. And all panicked and warning thoughts that had been discovered in his mind were completely incinerated.

He screamed. The sound was loud, painful, and beautiful at the same time. It felt like letting something that had long rotted in his body free. All that was left behind was desperation. Blind desperation that spoke nothing else than escaping.

He continued to scream as he pulled away from the man, stumbling back. The loud voices and near footsteps of the people around him were not given any time to dwell.

HE had pulled out the knife. HE was snarling at him. HE was moving closer.

Sweat rolled down his face. The brown-haired boy's legs were shaking violently, mimicking the rest of his body. Green hues were wide. And yet, even with all this, his body was frozen in a place as the knife pounced on its prey.

He screamed.

* * *

AN: I'll leave at this little cliffhanger. It seems appropriate. Now here is the preview...

Preview Coming Soon:

Chapter 5: Deadly wish Kai's aimless wondering of a purpose had lead him to meet a small, furry creature whom he follows, forgetting his earlier dark thoughts. But not before he made a wish.


	6. Deadly wish

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Chapter Five: Deadly wish  
**

* * *

Time no longer held its breath. It zoomed faster than light. Far too fast to realize anything.

The only thing he felt was the unbearable pain somewhere inside. There was no air. That fortune had long since left his body. Along with sight, hearing, and understanding. Only fear was there.

In all the chaos, someone pulled him back, out of harm's way. The warm contact on his frozen body made something snap.

The boy could see not HIM anywhere. He did not particularly want to see HIM, but if HE was around, it would be safe to know where. Better than to be pleasantly surprised.

Maybe for the better, his body was zoning out. A sick feeling hit the pit of his stomach, and he coughed something up. A bitter taste lingered in his taste buds. His body was far past its limit. It started to collapse on him.

Too many people. Too many voices. Not enough space. Not enough air.

The world spun in a dark cloud as he pulled himself away. Voices could no longer be heard. It all sounded like loud noises in the back of one's mind. Numbness took over, bringing down his body. A sharp sting was felt. Words without a voice was heard just before nothing more was known.

_"We love you. More than anything."_

* * *

Pain.

He felt pain.

Burning deadly pain. It ate greedily at his weak body. The cold darkness spread out like a parasite. It consumed all air, leaving him to gasp. Time did not exist here. It just kept going.

And a wish was made too late that it could stay that way. The darkness shied away as something made contact. Where? ...On his body. It...felt like a hand.

A jolt of pain stroked before a crackling sound of a whip was made.

He shot away from the hand and screamed loud enough to make the dark world around him shake. The discouragement that that brought was dismissed when he felt something again. He could not take it. The memory of what had happened was strong and overwhelming. It drove his mind mad with fear.

The dead black turned to a shade of crimson. It swirled brightly, shaded by purple and light pink. The world just cracked as his heart exploded, leaving nothing else.

But it kept happening. Over and over, he kept experiencing. And each time he was not prepared.

The terror always felt the same. Terrifying, literal breathtaking, and drove him made without fail. But each time was treated with the same hospitality. Now he waited in the world of darkness with anxiety and fear of when it would make its darker side known. How ironic that agonizing pain was relished when it fled and allowed contact from the outside.

Like right now. The cold hands were trying to hurt him again. Torture him. **Break** him. The mad laughter and foul stench was practically alive.

There was nothing else other than fear and anxiety. Except one thing. Gasping. There was no air. In fact, there was nothing. He just floated in place, staring upwards. In truth, he did not know why he was alive. Wasn't air necessary in order for you to live?

A new thought entered his mind. Why live at all? Why not die?

It was being considered. If he died, wouldn't that end it all? The pain, the fear, the emptiness? His hand slowly made it to his face, gently placing his fingers on it, as delicate as possible.

Empty... Do people always feel empty? If so, why did they live?

A purpose. What was their purpose? What was his purpose?

He couldn't think of one. Then he should die. That was it.

A simple answer. Living did not bring him anything except the pain. But if he died, that would all go away. It did not concern his mind that he hardly knew anything about the world. The only wish he had was for the pain to stop. In other words, to die.

But luck was not on his side, had it ever been. THOSE hands had done something. And now, even this dark world was withering away. The gravity holding him up now broke as did everything else.

Panic started to fade away. He just kept falling in the endless darkness. Until dull green orbs finally tucked themselves away.

* * *

Hesitantly, the world revealed itself.

Green eyes blinked in surprise, though the emotion was small. People passed him without a glance, laughing or speaking to someone with them. It was as if an invisible was the only the only thing keeping them from bumping into him. But it did not bother the boy.

The thing that did bother him was there were too many people. Everything was closing in on him. Too many new faces were passing through his view. His ears were hearing too many new voices. Shaking hands covered their entrance.

The overwhelmed boy fell to his knees, gasping from the pressure.

"Meow."

Green orbs reluctantly opened. He was looking down at the strange being.

"Meow." A strange little creature walked up to his face, lightly sniffing him with a wet nose.

The boy just blinked innocently at the creature and slowly removed his hands from his eras to get a better look. Once he did, a word traveled to his mind.

_Cat._

Cat? What was a cat? This thing? He slowly moved his hand towards the dark grey _cat_ and found that its little head was soft.

"Meow..." it made some strange noise as the curious boy explored the soft fur for a second. The creature rubbed against his leg before walking ahead.

The brunet somehow understood that he should follow. He walked behind, unsure why he was following. For that matter, why was he here? Wasn't he supposed to be somewhere else?

Exactly who was he?

"Meow."

The boy blinked upon realizing he had stopped. The furry being watched him intently before cocking his head to the ground.

He stared at the cat for a moment before looking down. A pool of transparent water rippled before him. Staring deep into it, the sounds of voices, footsteps, and cars soon dulled until nothing else was there other than the rippling of the water.

The gray cat waved its tail around before lightly touching the water with the tip of its nose.

The water's ripples increased. Green orbs blinked as they saw their reflection.

He was wearing a blue blazer with a white shirt and blue pants. Moving his hand out of the big sleeve, he saw his hand looked normal. No scars or anything.

Were there supposed to be scars?

He unwillingly winced as pain entered his head. His legs swayed with his sight. When he reopened his eyes, the feline was nowhere in sight. Blinking, he stared deep into his reflection and started when someone else appeared.

Despite having this person near and an arm slung around his shoulder, the boy could only stare at the water. The stranger's mouth was moving, but no words could be understood. Green eyes could see the person, yet failed to make out the appearance.

But there was no time to wonder.

The white realm around him began to melt away. The ground beneath him trembled before withering away.

The burning pain in his head distracted him from it all. His eyes rolled back as he drifted away.

* * *

The objects mirrored themselves.

Dull eyes swayed between half open veils. Numbness sprouted throughout the body. There really was not any feeling in the injured limbs. Emptiness could only describe every inch about the person.

Then, like an answered prayer, a small glimmer of hope rained down. It was light but left a glow on the pale skin, spreading awareness. There was a blink. It would take much more to have any other reaction.

So more came. In a messed up pattern that somehow seemed perfect, more droplets fell. Shimmering with hope, they offered themselves over.

The veils were pushed farther away, reacting to the wetness. Now the objects no longer danced, and things became clearer.

There was someone in front of him. Blinking with more effort, he saw it was a boy. He was crying. A tear rolled down and shattered on his skin.

The boy's gray orbs widened before he grabbed the brunet by the arms and pulled him close. He wrapped his arms tightly around the confused boy, one hand grasping his head desperately close.

"I-I'm so sorry," he cried, squeezing tightly. He kept on repeating that phrase as much as his voice possibly could allow.

Green orbs shook with confusion. Fear loomed deep in his heart at being touched by an unknown person, but he found himself relaxed. Something overtook the fear, making him wish it was there instead. It felt awful, the feeling like a knife stabbed deeply in the heart.

Guilt.

Tenderly, he tugged on the teen's sleeve and tensed, waiting. He expected a whip, a slap, a shout. Instead, the crying boy only hugged him tighter, his voice too cracked to speak any longer.

Something strange was felt. The boy did not understand the feeling. But he knew he would not receive at the moment, and that was enough to calm him down. His eyes were closed, for once not in reluctance, and he breathed with ease.

He really did not know what soft object he laid on, or what world he was in. Still, he felt at ease here as he was swept away to a somewhat peaceful slumber. Gray fragments of what had happened were jumbled randomly in hibernation, left untouched.

Though absently forgotten, the wish to die, still lingered amongst those gray shards.

* * *

**Preview Coming Soon:**

**Chapter Six: Unknown fear** _Kai was finding it hard to understand this fear he had been dealing with. It only worsened when he woke up in a dark room. Wouldn't it become terrible if he met an unknown person?_


	7. Unknown Fear

**AN: **Well, this took awhile. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard.

**Burnt Memory**

**Chapter Six: Unknown Fear**

* * *

The weather was normal, like any other day.

Sunny was normal. Cold was normal. So could absolutely freezing weather that was so cold you couldn't shiver be strange? In a perfectly heated house with a roof and locked windows that was normal, yes? Accompanied by no air whatsoever, the shaking of everything around you, and a tightness that felt suffocating had to be in the norm.

After all, someone was experiencing exactly this. It was never questioned whether all this was true or not. It had barely even been acknowledged. Until something broke the pattern of sharp gasps.

The sound boomed in the now attentive ears. It did not sound ominous, but it did not sound calm either. However, it was enough to look out of the darkness and at least glance at the owner of the sound.

Panic and fear etched within the heart as that owner was close. Right in front of him. No movement was made. Wide eyes simply stared deep into gray pools filled with emotion. Despite the cold hand that wrapped around his heart, the hand that was over his own was warm. And gentle. So he listened carefully when the sound came again.

"Can you hear me this time?" the boy asked. Boy. He was a boy. With blond hair and gray eyes. His voice was also shaking.

Somehow, the sound of that painful emotion made him feel like he had to do something. So he subconsciously moved his knees down to give view to his face. His hands limply fell down to the floor. Its surface felt soft, sending a tingling feeling up his body.

Green stared into gray. Life seemed to drown in those colors, as if they were the only things there. The room was dark, though. Dark... The realization of this made his cold hand tighten around the warm, gentle one. Vulnerability washed over his mind as he started to pull his knees back up.

The warmness fled from his hand as his knees were stopped. A shake of the head was offered before the brunet stiffened.

The blond teen had suddenly pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around the tense brunet. No harm came, but it only festered the confusion in the boy's mind. He felt warm and comfortable, but he felt cold from the inside. He felt something different. Words that were tucked deep in his dormant memory could not express themselves. It only worsened when the blond spoke.

"...You're alive," the brunet heard him gasp. "I'm so glad you're alive..." He pulled the boy closer, his hands shaking.

Alive? He was alive? Should he be? _Shouldn't he be dead?_

The brunet tensed as he felt a shiver run up his spine at that statement. His heart rammed in his chest. Beads of sweat formed on his face, and his vision blurred. But it was immediately deemed unimportant when the blond let go of him and pulled him up by his arm.

The brown-haired boy tensed and closed his eyes out of reflex. But when no harm came, the boy became confused and looked at the blond hesitantly. He received a soft smile. That action reassured him somewhat, managing to lower the speed of his heart, albeit very little.

The teen supported him by his arms, as his legs were wobbly. He then led the boy to another room and slowly opened the door.

"I promise I won't hurt you."

The intensity and honesty in his voice did not go unheard by the panicking boy. It was enough to stop his shaking at the sight of another room. The familiarity of being brought to a room struck his body hard. But the sincerity in what had been spoken calmed him down.

Promise? He promised to never hurt him? Why did that word make the brunet... believe in the blond?

Exhaustion was finally given attention as everything before him was being painted black. He numbly heard a gentle voice before feeling something soft and warm over him.

* * *

Despite the unbelievable pain that was coursing through his body, it felt like a seemingly small numbness compared to the fear in his heart. He did not know what he feared. He hardly understood the emotion, but he knew it was there. The feeling of absolute fear was definitely there. But what was there to fear?

The question was never pressed. It may be better if he did not know what he was afraid of. But the unknown was also something to fear. And the darkness of all around was unknown to his memory. Whatever he remembered.

His body began to shake. Fear deepened its hold around him until he found breathing a very arduous task.

"Meow."

Green orbs blinked hazily, looking at the furry creature that sat near him. The world seemed to grow brighter around him. It seemed to smile as it neared its face to his own, but the boy's vision was fading. He numbly felt it brushed its fur against his cheek before the world around him changed.

Pain struck his head as he blinked to clear his sight. Even in his delirious state, he was quick to recognize the teen before him. This event had happened enough times for him to remember.

"Relax. Just breathe."

His grip on the blond's shirt tightened, but he agreed and slowly breathed in and out. Somehow, he felt safer around this person. Somehow, the reassuring whispers and gentle smiles were both foreign and familiar. They both scared and reassured him.

Why was he nervous around this person? Why did he feel safe around him? He silently questioned it, his eyes becoming heavy. Right before he fell into a deep slumber, he heard a small murmur.

"I promise no one will hurt you anymore."

Then his eyelids shut.

* * *

The sleepy boy blinked continuously in the bright room. It was not its normal dark, empty black. Sunlight streamed through the open window, mildly intriguing the brunet which distracted his senses from feeling the soft bed under him or the messy state of his hair. In the end, the presence of someone near captured his full attention.

Something sparked in the boy's heart, and he flinched when the person reached to touch him. The owner of the hand seemed to notice and moved back.

Emerald eyes stayed on his lap. He wasn't willing to look up. He felt uneasy. The person in front of him made him nervous. He...he didn't like the company. He liked being alone. Without any sound, any emotion, just thoughts.

As time went on, the boy hadn't heard a single sound. That only made him feel worse. He kept waiting and waiting for something to happen. Ironically, he felt the bed shift a second after the thought and stiffened with tense shoulders. His eyes still didn't look up, waiting.

Nothing happened. The tension on his shoulders lessened. but he didn't meet the person's eyes.

It was a feeling. He just had this tenacious feeling to not look. HE never liked it after all.

So he never looked up. Maybe it was good. Maybe it was bad. For if he had looked up, he may have seen the tears framing the blond's grief-stricken smile.

* * *

**Preview Coming Soon:**

**Chapter Seven:** **Not Alone** _Kai has a difficult time coming to terms with this stranger's presence. Who was he? He did recall him from 'school', but he knew nothing else. It's strange, but the stranger never leaves the room, never says anything. Just sits there. At first. And Kai realizes his mind is able to process more than just the concept of staring._

**Please Review.**


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